Building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place

A message from Anna Maria Chavez, Chief Executive Officer for Girl Scouts of the USA

National Girl Scout Cookie Day was a blast! All over the nation, girls, volunteers, and staff told the story of the Girl Scout Cookie Program and all it does to build those five essential skills in our girls. The news coverage was incredible, with stories at the national level and in local communities in every region of the country, making February 8 a great day to be a Girl Scout.

And as I mentioned, it wasn’t just national coverage. I loved the story on KULR-8 News about girls from Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming donating cookies to cancer patients in Billings on National Girl Scout Cookie Day. WDEF News 12 did a wonderful story about girls from the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians teaming up with the Meals on Wheels program in Chattanooga to deliver Girl Scout Cookies to the elderly. What stunning examples of our girls making the world – and their communities – a better place. Meanwhile, two remarkable girls from Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways went on NewsChannel 9’s midday show in Syracuse and did a fantastic job. In the Centennial State, Girl Scouts of Colorado turned National Girl Scout Cookie Day into a major social media event and told our story across the state, including in the forms of this segment on KMGH 7News. And in Florida, two girls from the Girl Scout Council of the Florida Panhandle taped an interview with Tallahassee Democrat Managing Editor Rebeccah Lutz about their Girl Scout experiences.

I could cite dozens more examples. In fact, we lit up the Internet with more than 67 million impressions from all of the social media activity and buzz generated by councils and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA); that’s 17 times the number of impressions we received a year ago on the day. What a testament to Girl Scouting and our councils, the the time-honored tradition that is the Girl Scout Cookie Program, and, most of all, to the power of girls to turn what began as a cookie bake sale in Oklahoma in 1917 into the largest youth entrepreneurial program in the world.

National Girl Scout Cookie Day was more than a celebration, however – it was an opportunity to let the nation know that our cookie program isn’t about cookies alone. As you know, it’s also about teaching girls five business skills – goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics – essential to leadership, to success, and to life. The message that buying Girl Scout Cookies is an investment in the future came through loud and clear: because of the teamwork of our 112 councils and GSUSA, millions of Americans now have a much clearer understanding of the role the Girl Scout Cookie Program plays in developing girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

I couldn’t be prouder of our girls, of our councils, and of our cookie program. I hope you had a wonderful National Girl Scout Cookie Day, and I thank you for all you do to support the Girl Scout Cookie Program and Girl Scouting. It is your support that enables us to deliver what is truly the best leadership experience for girls anywhere in the world.